Tag Archive | Fred Tomaselli

Fred Tomaselli (born 1956) is known for his unique hybrid paintings and collages, layering cutout elelments with passages of paint. Big Stack (2009 Photo Collage, Acrylic and Resin on Wood Panel)) is one of the tallest works that Tomaselli has created: its peak corresponds to the ceiling height of his former studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Composed of images of speakers and amplifiers, the Stack seems to extend indefinitely into the starry night sky. The work resembles a kind of cosmic radio tower — a source of communication, or perhaps miscommunication — and serves as a contemporary Tower of Babel.

Caution: Heavy Rock Action Ahead! While I was initially drawn in by this video’s surreal, cut out animation, which reminds me so much of the mind blowing collage art of Fred Tomaselli, it’s the song’s relentless aural ass-kicking that keeps me clicking on the repeat button. With a solid ’70s vibe that cannot be denied, “Nine Lives” from British Rock Powerhouse Turbowolf also adheres to what I’d call “Classic Contemporary” Rock influences to sound something like Monster Magnet meets the original band called Alice Cooper with a T Rex chaser. Eeeexcellent.

According to vocalist Chris Georgiadis.”‘Nine Lives’ is a song about making the most of our limited time; about living with no regrets; about changing our attitudes towards death and about life. It’s a celebration of the known, unknown and everything in between.” The band’s new album, Two Hands, is out on April 6th, 2015 on Spinefarm Records. Like them on the FaceBook at This Link. Enjoy!

From Left, Kaleidoscope Vision (1 and 2) and Third Eye Vision, Collage Layered in Resin, 2014 (All Photos By Gail)

Because it is up for only one more week, you should make every effort to head to the Joseph Gross Gallery for Sebastian Wohl’s amazing solo exhibition, Psychedelic Gravy For the Receptive Mind.

Wahl is a Swedish artist now living in NYC who works with collage and lacquer in a manner similar to that of artist Fred Tomaselli, but on a much more cerebrally expansive scale. Geoffrey and I were fortunate to meet and chat briefly with Sebastian at the exhibit’s opening reception, back on February 12th, and when I mentioned how much his work reminded me of Tomaselli, he did confess to also being a fan, and offered that Tomaselli’s use of lacquer had been a tremendous influence on this new body of work.

Vahalla

To achieve his multidimensional effect, Wahl carefully places handmade papers and images between layers and layers of resin. The result is a collage time capsule with real shadows cast within each piece. “Collage is my medium, resin is just the gravy on top,” the artist states in the exhibits press release, adding that, “The mystical experience has always been a point of reference for my work so Psychedelic Gravy For the Receptive Mind seemed like a fitting title for the exhibition.”

Mandalla 4

Wahl’s goal is to trigger an awakening of imagination, spirituality and vision. In his work everything is balanced with the attention of a tightrope walker. This attention to balance transforms into symmetry and repetition in the three new circular works that he created for this exhibition. These three pieces are titled Kaleidoscope Vision (1 and 2) and Third Eye Vision (see the first photo in this post) and are loosely inspired by traditional Thangka painting.

The Conductress

Juju Elves From Left: Flying Lotus, VooDoo Chile, Kaliucifer

Sebastian also created a new series of 7 small pieces that he refers to as the Juju Elves. The works are charged with positive energy and the intention of protecting their owner’s home.

Jimi Hendrix 4 and Jimi Hendrix 3

He also did series of portraits of Jimi Hendrix, each one unique from the others.

Detail of Jimi Hendrix 3

12/21/12

Sebastian Wahl’s Psychedelic Gravy for the Receptive Mind will be on exhibit only through February 28th, at the Joseph Gross Gallery, Located at 548 W. 28th Street, Suite 243, in the Chelsea Gallery District.

My first exposure to painter/collagist Fred Tomaselli’s work was his exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum back in 2011, so I was very excited about attending the opening reception for his latest collection of paintings and collages entitled Current Events, which opened at the James Cohan Gallery on May 1st.

Detail from After Oct. 16, 2010

In his fourth solo exhibition at the gallery, Tomaselli presents eights new collage paintings and over 30 works from his ongoing New York Times collage series. The gallery space is huge and there is a ton of cool stuff to look at.

Black Star

Detail from Black Star

Tomaselli’s art is very visually psychedelic, but there is also so much going on as far as the actual form of the work and the story each tells that you could spend hours studying and enjoying each piece.

Gyre

Detail from Gyre

As the exhibit’s press release explains, “over the course of a career that spans three decades, Tomaselli has transformed his daily life and many obsessions — gardening, birding, fly-fishing, recreational drugs – into mind-bending, consciousness-expanding paintings.

Penetrators

Serpent’s Body Detail from Pentrators

Since March 16th, 2005 Tomaselli has been working on The New York Times paintings. According the the Press Release, “He became absorbed by the photo on the front page in which he describes, “Bernie Ebbers, the just convicted WorldCom chairman, was clutching the hand of his wife as he was being expelled from ‘the Eden of Finance’ by the camera-wielding angels of the paparazzi.” Drawing and collaging directly on the photo, Tomaselli created his first “collaboration” with the lead page of The New York Times. The series now consists of 80+ works.”

Here are a few from the exhibit:

Nov. 25, 2010

\Nov. 9, 2011

Aug. 19, 2009

Jan. 21, 2012

So, you know what you like to look at and what stimulates your mind. Surely I do not need to say anymore to talk you into going to see this exhibit: just do yourself a favor and go.

Fred Tomaselli’s Current Events will be on Exhibit Through June 14th, 2014 at James Cohan Gallery, Located at 533 West 26th Street in the Chelsea Gallery District. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.